The Wentworth Svithe

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If John Wentworth had never asked Joseph Smith about Mormonism, would Joseph Smith ever have written the Articles of Faith?

And if he had never written the Articles of Faith, how would our self-perception differ today?

The AofF as originally written:

We believe in God the eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

We believe that the first principle and ordinances of the Gospel are: (1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; (2) Repentance; (3) Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; (4) Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We believe that a man must be called of God by prophecy and by the laying on of hands, by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive Church, viz.: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.

We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.

We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion will be built upon this [the American] continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul, We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Discuss

last week's svithe

Kiki Thorpe revisited

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Do you remember Kiki Thorpe? Of course you remember Kiki Thorpe. But you are still skeptical of her skill? How could you not be.

But now I have a further witness of her skill.

She has been tapped by none less than Pixar to write their tie-ins.



(ps to pixar: i'ld like a job too)

Short fiction (and because I am feeling expansive, nonfiction) of the new Irreantum

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So the new Irreantum arrived this week and, as I did last time, I'm going to review the fiction. This time I'm also going to review the nonfiction (as fiction) because, as William pointed out, it's not always easy to tell the difference.

Long in the Tooth by Joshua Foster

I felt this story a great deal. I felt the creation of the characters was topnotch and the society described was tactile and real and the dogs too breathed. But then . . . I don't think Foster knew what his point was. Or if he did, he decided not to include it in his final draft. Which was upsetting. It's hard to read a great piece and then arrive at the end in a lurch asking myself was the purpose of it all was.

Faithful by Angela Hallstrom

This is just one part of Bound on Earth that I've already reviewed. What I found curious this time was how, when part of a novel, I overlooked its sins of overexplanation (which, when part of a novel, they should have bothered me even more), but I could not this time. But it is still an excellent story. The crescent rolls, so perfect. A lovely tale.

I'll Be a Stranger to You by Cara Diaconoff

This needed a rewrite. It's loaded with unclear antecedents and ambiguous tags and inconsistent time structurings. Its depiction of Moscow is vivid at times, but the human characters are not at all and some elements are hard to accept as nearing truth (depictions of missionaries, notably). It's nice to see a story that attempts to deal with homosexuality in a Mormon setting, but I've read much better. I've told Ugly Swan to enter the Irreantum fiction contests. Why won't he listen to me?

The Memo Box by Heidi Tighe

Everything that's good about this story and everything that's not are summarized perfectly in its first line: "On the day that Sister Jenkins killed her husband, my mother got another package in the mail." It's a perfectly structured, textbook-clever opening line melding the literary everyday with the literarily violent. Then it gets into domestic dissatisfaction etcetcetrc with a child narrator way too wise for his age etcetcetc. In other words, it's a fantastic story --- that we've heard about a zillion times before. Which is a shame. Because there's nothing actually wrong with it. Yet I can't sing its praises.

The Mesa by Oliver Welch

Although another typical piece of literary [non]fiction without any surprises, by really nailing the ending, "The Mesa" becomes something more than the previous tale. And I think it might be the first bit of good rez [non]fiction I've read from an outsider's point of view (meaning the character, not the writer although, as it ended up, these were the same).

Two Things by Russ Beck

I loved this story. It was fresh and clever and fun and in another setting I could have loved it without reservation. But its last line emphasized the reason I can't give myself over to it completely, viz. it's one more story in this issue that's about people on their way out. And frankly, this heavy a percentage of such tales in one issue of Irreantum disengages me and makes a story as good as "Two Things" feel tired when it isn't.

Outside by Shawn P. Bailey

This one's good too. Doesn't quite stick the ending, but the up-to is pretty good. It makes an interesting counterpoint to the previous story and ends the mag nicely. Narrated by a falling(fallen?)-away about this relationship with a dying. But all the same it manages to be interesting and fun and new (overall).

So, speaking of Overall, overall, the last issue was better. But this issue by no means dashed my hope and faith. I still feel Irreantum is a promising and marvelous source for Mormon literature. And I encourage y'all to submit.

Especially you poets. Four of the nine poems in this issue were reprints. If that means they're not getting enough good poems, then SHAME ON YOU POETS. Yeah. You heard me. Submit.

And subscribe. (That goes for all of you.)

(see also my comments on the essay by bwjorgensen in this same issue)

The Erotic in LDS Lit Part X: Reengaging the Unengaging Jorgensen (who won't engage me)

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Before I get started, it's been a while since I've written one of these posts, so let me brielfy review my Erotic in LDS Lit posts so interested new readers can get the lay of the sexy sexy land:

The Erotic in LDS Lit Part I: Why? (I introduce the topic in response to an excellent Dialogue article by Levi Peterson. Includes longhaul trucks and flowcharts.) The Erotic in LDS Lit: Part II: Jorgensen's Take (I continue the discussion with an article that responded to Peterson's. Includes poison or the lack thereof.) The Erotic in LDS Lit Part III: Test Case (I discuss an excellent novella by Todd Robert Petersen.) The Erotic in LDS Lit Part III.V: Breaking down the controversy over Angel Falling Softly (Or, Theric is always right.) The Erotic in LDS Lit Part IV: The Sex Talk (Nonfiction sex.) The Erotic in LDS Lit Part V: Can there be a “Moral Pornography”? (Maybe. And that's my final answer.) The Erotic in LDS Lit Part VI: Theric replies to your questions and comments (a) (yes) The Erotic in LDS Lit Part VII: Theric replies to your questions and comments (b) (no) The Erotic in LDS Lit Part VIII: Theric replies to your questions and comments (c) (maybe so) The Erotic in LDS Lit Part IX: What I heard in General Conference (And at the end of those articles, the prophets spoke. Specifically, Elaine S. Dalton and Richard G. Scott.) (all lds eros posts, literary or not)

In the new issue of Irreantum is an article by Mr Jorgensen, star of Part II as listed above, titled "Reading About Sex in Mormon Fiction --- If We Can Read". Yay, right?

No. Not yay. I'm sorry to say this new article of his is borderline pointless. As Tyler described it, it is "kind of condescending". Jorgensen's working assumption seems to be that no one in his audience has ever ever ever considered the possibility of "sex", "Mormon" and "fiction" appearing in the same sentence. So I suppose I should recognize that I and my fellow Thutopians must not be his target audience. But still. What a boring, pointless read this was.

Taking figures provided in the article and doing some basic arithmetic, I can figure that ol' Bruce is now about 65 so maybe he has old-man interwebz ignorance, but I wish he had recognized his grandfatherly role in this discussion and brought some innovation to bear instead of delighting in rehashed tired thoughts. (And on top of that he driveby insults Anita Stansfield and her readers. Come on.)

For Mr. J's information, since he and Levi appeared in Dialogue lo these many years ago --- or even better, since I responded to them last year --- there has been plenty written on the subject. Just at my ehome-away-from-ehome, Tyler and Laura have both initiated fruitful discussions; and, although I haven't followed them as closely, similar angles have been attacked on some of the even-bigger Mormon blogs. So just mentioning sex isn't enough to make you cutting edge anymore.

What I wish is that he would hop online and read up and then engage us in discussion. Because the discussion has matured. We're not in 101 anymore. We're ready to engage in graduate work.

So engage us.

A word from our sponsor

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Without Lady Steed I would probably be moping about all day. Watching Up together today reminded us of that as we wept through the whole dang thing.

Then we ate ice cream at Fenton's and cured ourselves with a sugar-and-fat high.

This is our tenth Bastille Day married making next year our tenth anniversary with many more to come.

I'm looking forward to it.

By popular demand, my rock cartoon:

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Mr Thteed in his natural habitat

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Two students kept track of my humanity this year, then after graduation emailed me their typed-up notes. Sometimes I was CLEARLY misquoted, but as a whole, this is what it's like to me in my class. I've changed Proper Nouns but left everything else as they sent it.

LHHS 2009 Mr. Thteed’s first AP Lit Class

HUMAN POINTS

1/30/09

(the side ways smile face that failed at life)
Drops dry eraser on the floor

2/2/09
“What ever Visitor 1 wants Visitor 1 gets.”
“It’s curious they’re property looks exactly the same.” (When Mr. Thteed drew a picture of Darcy and Lady Catharine’s house.)
“There’s their little best friend necklace, it’ll never go together again.”
“Oh lady De Bourg she makes my heart beat faster.”
On Board “B + J 4ER”
“I believe in smiling”
“I don’t know how your suppose to tell them apart”
“It’s like the circus coming to town but you get to marry them.”-upbeat
*got Mr. Thteed to sing a song like twinkle twinkle

2/3/09
Wrote: personity said “personality”
“gu, glu gla”- couldn’t talk
“Darbies estate”-Darcy’s estate
“Driving me bananas! I feel so much better now, it’s like I can go on with my life.”

2/4/09
pen running out of ink so Mr. Thteed *stabs at paper*

2/6/09
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this but if you keep your napkin clean you have eternal life.” W/ Visitor 1’s cake for Danny’s birthday to fool Mrs. Otherteacher
“Just for reference if any of you fail the AP test we’re going to blame it on them.” – points at the door Visitor 1 and Visitor 2 just walked out.
“HE’S DARCY! You can’t say no to Darcy!”

2/9/09
On Board “Partay”

2/11/09
“We get out at 1:30 today right?” everyone says “2:30” because the clock says 2:05

2/23/09
“He just wants a friend. I have no one to talk to.”-voice
“O Good! Story time.”
“Hhh, Arg, Urr”

2/24/09
“Mr. Thteed here.” –in an unusually deep voice

2/25/09
“O master.”-Imitating Igor

2/26/09
Wrote: forgiveness said, “It’s forgiveness with an X through it.”

2/27/09
“O My God! This marker stinks more then any three markers put together. If I start to act crazy take the marker away from me.”

3/2/09
“He tells Mr. Darcy”- Whops wrong book.

3/3/09
“du du dadu” –he has his own theme song. HIS OWN THEME SONG!!!!!!
“This is not America where only 30% of the population votes! Everyone vote.”
“Fact I won’t be grading these this weekend because I’ll be going into the city to watch ‘Watchmen’ on the Imax.”
“No because you and your ‘evilness’ (hand motions like Mr. Burns) might give it away”
“That is a terrible, terrible thing.” (the picture of the two circles on being Victor the other the monster and they were drawn really badly)
“The great and noble Steve where you’d be a Stevey rather then an abbey. I’m totally making this up.”
“I’m not going to ruin it for you, but guess what he’s in jail.”
“I lived in Korea.” –That’s cool
“My editor told me to use this word but I think he’s full of crap.”

3/4/09
“ring, ring”-phone “Who in the world could that be? Hi? Hi.”- Mr. Thteed
“Quotation marks for poems, underlined long, it won’t effect your grade but in your freshmen year of college you turn it in and it gets thrown back in your face, you blame me and then I get something I don’t want in the mail. And would wish I would talk to you about this RIGHT NOW, so quotation marks for poems and Underlines for titles.”

“Wait we’re not at the end of the book?! Excuse me then I was thinking ‘What is WRONG with these kids!’ So excuse me today is WEDNESDAY! Oh god, and here I was thinking, we’d, hell we’re doing this tomorrow. *erase stuff on board* I thought I forgot about if for Wednesday but TODAY IS WEDNESDAY!”- Mr. Thteed Scribe1 talking to Scribe2, “Ari are you going to write that down?” “Yes, I should write that down.”- Mr. Thteed Wrote: Wed on the board. “Excuse me I think I’ve been in a time warp or something today. Wednesday ..”-Mr. Thteed

3/5/09

“Now in 2006…. Wait what year is it now? 2009!”
“Wow! 5 arrows, very fast.”

3/6/09
“(about screw which kept white board from sliding) Scribe1 touches the screw and it fell out. “Maybe you should just take the screw out.”-Scribe1 and hands it to Mr. Thteed “What! How’d you do that? I’ve been fiddling with it all week!”- Mr. Thteed “I just touched it.”-Scribe1
“Or you can keep it and make a paper mache donkey.” (with the prompt essay)
“blackness, mysterious blackness.”
“I can’t wait for this test to be over, I’m going to eat a cheeseburger.”
“Party!”-Scribe1 *few seconds of nothing* “Naw let’s not.”-Mr. Thteed

3/11/09
“Pay really close attention to what I’m about to say… Oh snarkle.”
“I don’t want to mislead you because that’s not the way I roll.”
“I’m pretty sure 5+5+5 doesn’t equal 17, you better all vote next time.” “16, getting closer.” “Oh you guys suck!” (only 16 people voted again)

3/12/09
(doing haikus) “No, wait a minute, I can’t be old already I’m just about to… be a go-go dancer. WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG???”

3/17/09
“I was absent all day but came back for fourth block.” (because we’re that cool!)

3/18/09
“What’s my first name? Mysterious that’s what the Mr. Stands for.”
“He talks so well I wonder if Mr. Walter Dean Myers slipped the kids something.”

3/19/09
“Just like in one vomit.” *hand motions*
Wrote: Hey! (I that looks like Z with a dot on top) could kill her! {basically I could kill her}
“It’s not hard to imagine he said.”-Mr. Thteed quoting Mr. Thteed
Wrote: Richard Cory
Rich Dick

3/20/09
“What word did you always want to ask but knew Student 2 would look at you funny?”
“I often obscure the meaning in an unfair, unkind way, but I never lie.”

3/24/09
“We talked about it yesterday. O’ you weren’t here yesterday screw you!” to Student 1

3/25/09
“Welcome, welcome, welcome, I’m Mr. Thteed. Welcome to AP Lit.”
“Have you guys seen my rock cartoon? Ok we’re going to watch it today because it’s awesome!”

3/27/09
“So during 3rd block we were hit with an unbearable smell of fish. It was horrible, deadly.”
“Stuffy noses wouldn’t have helped you during 3rd block.”
“What was I going to say….. curse you Scribe1!”
“Any Lemony Snicket fans here?” Scribe1 raised her hand. “What’s the name of the last book?” *silence* “The End was the name I was looking for.” (not sure if that’s the title Mr. Thteed said but that’s the name of the last book)
“GET OUT YOUR BOOK! YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR BOOK OUT!” (shouting match between Scribe1 and Mr. Thteed) high pitchedness

4/2/09
“That seems like an awful waist of time…. Ok let’s do another one of these!”
Wrote: Way authors’ style realsx “That’s how everyone will say reveals in the future!”

4/9/09
“Don’t just blink at me. Who has the poem? What! No one.”
“Homeless?”- Mr. Thteed “Ominous!”-student

4/21/09
“Oodles and gobs of time”
“It doesn’t really make any sense. You should see a doctor.”
On Board: What to do today: AP -----------PANIC
“We have another book we were going to watch, hehehe…”

4/22/09
“I completely and utterly trust you. Don’t Get Me in Trouble!” “I’m going to brake a window.”- Student 3

4/23/09
“Exactly! I can’t tell the difference between old English and Yoda.”

4/27/09
“You do not understand it’s importance to me.” (the granola box with the questions)
“Hey that’s not funny” (before- “maybe when reading ‘To be or not to be’ you question suicide”)
“Ode was not on out list. WO! That’s crazy!”

5/14/09
“You have to have smoked to get it.”
“We were suppose to give one to Student 4”-Scribe1 “Well, what we’ve just learned is that I’m an English teacher.”-Mr. Thteed (there was a left over book)

5/18/09
“Do we have to return these to you?”-Student 3 “Wo, No, keep it. Give it to your children!”- Mr. Thteed
Drew a smilie face on the board. “In what way does that look like a face? Really.”

6/9/09
“It’s like a time machine.” Mr. Thteed (about my picture of Student 4 from Japanese class that morning.

TOTAL HUMAN POINTS: 88

It’s not 100………..
Sorry no pictures or doodles added.

late svithe: The Two Lenses of Priesthood and Charity

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At Church yesterday Sunday School was on Priesthood and and Rs/Ph was on Charity. Juxtaposing these two made me realize that here we have two all-important doctrines. Nothing matters without the proper priesthood and without charity, you are nothing.

In many ways, these two facts seem contradictory.

As my favorite sociologist said in elders quorum in response to Peter ("And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."), the emphasis on charity shows that life is not a game of Operation with strict rules and if you touch the sides then BZZZZZT! you're out. That's not the way God rolls.

I agree with this. It's charity that matters. Charity burns away sins in the sense that when we have charity we are less likely to commit them, but in our continued imperfection, as Peter said, charity can also cover them up.

(Charity, it's worth mentioning, is the pure love of Christ). I suspect that as we develop it ourselves, we are able to tap more directly into the Atonement. But this is just a speculative aside.)

So back to priesthood, which seems more exclusive as we Mormon generally speak of it. But is that perspective correct? Yes. And no.

God loves all his children and wants them to have it all. And priesthood is God's power. And wouldn't he use his power to these ends?

And so while the god of Mormon belief is a bit strict on his ordinances, it's not BZZZT! you're out. This is why we're so big on proxy ordinances. It's about love and expansion of that love and giving the gifts of God to all. (Or, more accurately, offering the gifts of God to all. We're not big on making anyone do anything.)

Sigh.

Okay, I need to get on with my day. Please clarify my thoughts for me in the comments.

Danke.

last week's more sensible svithe

Sneak Preview for the Sneaky

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As promised, "Too sacred for public consumption -or- Disgusting the prophet’s wife" hours before it becomes available to the general blogging public!

A heartfelt apology to all my beloved Thutopians

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It would be easy for me to blame my lax blogging of late upon my travels and travails, but I will not attempt to pass bux, as it were, and will instead note my sins and speak of how you can enjoy them.

1. Sunday I let some guy named McKay guest svithe instead of writing one myself.

2. Today, instead of posting here, I have a short essay called "Communion with the Small" appearing on Wilderness Interface Zone.

3. Tomorrow instead of posting here I am posting on Motley Vision: "Too sacred for public consumption -or- Disgusting the prophet’s wife". To (partly) make up for my neglect, you may read that post ahead of the typical AMV stopperby by coming here at 1am tomorrow morning for a link. This way you can read the post several hours ahead of its official posting time.

I hope you will someday find yourself able to forgive me.

Sincerely,

Thinner

Special Guest Svither David O. McKay on the confluence of testimony and duty

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Since President McKay was on the butt-end of a little good-natured ribbing last week, we here at Thutopia thought it might be nice to let him share a story with us today.

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One day in my youth I was hunting cattle. While climbing a steep hill, I stopped to let my horse rest, and there, once again, an intense desire came over me to receive a manifestation of the truth of the restored gospel. I dismounted, threw my reins over my horse’s head, and there under a serviceberry bush I prayed that God would declare to me the truth of his revelation to Joseph Smith. I am sure that I prayed fervently and sincerely and with as much faith as a young boy could muster.

At the conclusion of the prayer, I arose from my knees, threw the reins over my faithful pony’s head, and got into the saddle. As I started along the trail again, I remember saying to myself, ‘No spiritual manifestation has come to me. If I am true to myself, I must say I am just the same “old boy” that I was before I prayed.’

The Lord did not see fit to give me an answer on that occasion, but in 1899, after I had been appointed president of the Scottish Conference, the spiritual manifestation for which I had prayed as a boy in my teens came as a natural sequence to the performance of duty.

last week's svithe

The 12th Five Books, 2009 (kimball, wowza, beedle, ted, dud)

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060) The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy, finished July 1

I am very sad to learn that Elaine Dundy died last year. Because I liked her book and her afterward, not three years old, is very charming.

Dear Mrs Tynan [her married name], I don't make the habit of writing to married women, especially if the husband is a dramatic critic, but I had to tell someone (and it might as well be you since you're the author) how much I enjoyed The Dud Avocado. It made me laugh, scream and guffaw (which incidentally is a great name for a law firm). If this was actually your life, I don't know how on earth you got through it. Sincerely, Groucho Marx.

I liked your book. I liked the way your characters all speak differently. My characters all sound the same because I never listen. [Ernest Hemingway]

(It was the first one that finally got me to pick up the book.)

So this novel has been called the world's first chicklit, and there's a lot to that, I suppose. Sally Jay Gorce goes to France and madcappery results. It took me a good number of pages to get into it, but I finally did and I quite enjoyed it.

It's a first novel, which brings up the ol' how-autobiographical-is-it question. She says, "When people ask me how autobiographical the book is I say, all the impulsive, outrageous things my heroine does, I did. All the sensible things she did, I made up."

In the intro by Terry Teachout says it's full of sentences she wishes she had written. Her examples all come from the beginning of the book, but mine come mostlyn later and some could be construed as spoilers, so tread carefully.

And I remember a little later wondering why things always turn out to be diametrically opposed to what you expect them to be. It's no good even trying to predict what this opposite will be because it fools you and turns out to be the opposite of that, if you see what I mean. If you think this is geometrically impossible all I can say is that you don't know life.

- - - | - - -

What a world, I thought. Nothing but sex as far as the eye can see.

- - - | - - -

Larry was right. What was the use of remembering? If it was unpleasant, it was unpleasant. It it was pleasant, it was over.

- - - | - - -

We looked at the menu. "Hah! Avocados," he said, brightening. "How I love them. Cheer up, my little avocado," he said to me, pinching my hand. "You know, these American girls are just like avocados. What do you think, am I right, Max? Who ever even heard of an avocado sixty years ago? Yes, that's what we're nowadays." His avocado arrived and he looked at it lovingly. "the Typical American Girl," he said, addressing it. "A hard center with the tender meat all wrapped up in a shiny casing." He began eating it. "How I love them," he murmured greedily. "So green--so eternally green." He winked at me.

"Stefan, please. . . ."

"No, it's true. And I will tell you something really extraordinary, mes enfants. Do you know that you can take the stones of these luscious fruits, put them in water--just plain water, mind you--anywhere, any place in the world, and in three months up comes a sturdy little plant full of green leaves? That is their sturdy little souls bursting into bloom," he finished off, well satisfied with his analogy.

- - - | - - -

It's not real, I'd say over and over again. It can't be real. Judy lying in the hospital, probably dying. Larry pimping and theiving and beating up girls. Me in jail. How did it happen? We're all nice people.

- - - | - - -

There was a letter from Uncle Roger. I held it in my hand awhile, breaking into one of the cold sweats that had formed such an integral part of my temperature in recent days [...]

- - - | - - -

"Sally Jay," he said earnestly, "promise me, promise me you'll never try to kill yourself."

"Oh I promise, I promise," I assured him, stretching lazily, feeling utterly euphoric. "The world is wide, wide, wide, and I am young, young, young, and we're all going to live forever!"

I don't know that I agree with Teachout that this will be one of the books that survives to become Literature, but it is a fine book and chicklit lovers could do much worse.

at most a month

059) Letters from a Nut by Ted. L. Nancy, finished June 21

I've been wanting one of these for a decade so thanks to my brother Schmett for the great Christmas present. Some of these letters are impossibly funny.

If you're not familiar with the Letters from a Nut books, Ted L. Nancy sends strange strange letters to companies or famous individuals and engages them in bizarre correspondance. For instance, writing Greyhound about traveling by bus dressed as a gigantic stick of butter. That sort of thing.

Anyway, you probably don't need to buy your own copy, but next time you're in the Devil's Den, pick one up and read until you're laughing so hard they kick you out.

Return next day.

Repeat.

just under six months

058) The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling, finished June 21

I'm only sad there were merely five. They felt like true old tales and I consider that high praise indeed.

perhaps two weeks

057) Lowboy by John Wray, finished June 16

I took this book home from the library because of this line from Kirkus Reviews on the back: "The opening pages recall Salinger's Holden Caulfied, but the denouement and haunting aftertaste may make the stunned reader whisper 'Dostoevsky.' Yes, it really is that good."

Now there's no love between me and Holden, but the journey from Salinger to Dostoevsky was too intriguing not to take up.

Final analysis? Great book. I loved it. I'm still not sure about the ambiguous ending --- Dostoevsky or not --- but overall, I give it to you highly recommended.

(Note to New York writers who want to show off how well they know their city. Read this book. See how the city is a character in the book? See how Wray isn't just showing off how Newyorky he is? See how the reader cares where Lowboy is, and not just that the writer knows where Lowboy is? You should all take a lesson.)

Lowboy is a schizophrenic kid escaped from the hospital so he can save the world. He is in the world and the world is in him and both are getting hotter and if he can just let the world out ---

The book makes me feel like I understand shizophrenia in the way The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time helped me understand autism and Bound on Earth being bipolar. And I must say: schizophrenia is the worst.

(Movie aside: too bad del Toro's so busy --- he would be perfect.)

Anyway, good book. Pick it up.

about a month

056) One silent sleepless night by Spencer W. Kimball, finished June 14

President Kimball recounts a insomniac night filled with pain and memories in a New York hotel. Large type and copiously illustrated (watercolors by Sherry Thompson) and lots of whitespace = very short book indeed, even at only 63 pages. Although by no means a great book, it is an interesting book in terms of structure and concept.

Anyone familiar with the Kimball Story probably knows how he thought his usefulness was over when he had his vocal cords removed. Watching him autobiographicize the past during his recovery offers an interesting perspective, complicated by the fact that the book was actually written almost twenty years after his silent sleepless night an four years after becoming president of the Church. Makes me wonder what his motivation was. I'll have to ask him someday.

about seven months

Previously:

055) Blue Beetle: Boundaries by Sturges/Albuquerque/Coelho, finished June 6
054) [title in flux] (MS) by B.G. Christensen, finished June 5
053) Invincible Volume 1: Family Matters words by Robert Kirkman, pictures by Cory Walker, finished June 3
052) Der Ostwind (MS) by Kohl Glass, finished June 2
051) The Rumpelstiltskin Problem by Vivian Vande Velde, finished June 2
050) The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton, finished June 2
049) Superman / Madman Hullabaloo! by the Allreds, finished May 29
048) Beyond Fair Chase: The Ethic and Tradition of Hunting by Jim Posewitz, finished May 26
047) Brave and the Bold: Demons and Dragons by Mark Waid et al, finished May 20
046) Atonement by Ian McEwan, finished May 20
045) Love and the Light: An Idyl of the Westland by Orson Ferguson Whitney, finished May 20
044) Tales Of The Batman: Tim Sale by Tim Sale and some motley group of writers, finished May 17
043) Catwoman: The Dark End of the Street by Ed Brubaker et al, finished May 13
042) Aztek - the Ultimate Man by Grant Morrison), Mark Millar, Keith Champagne, Steven Harris; finished May 11
041) Cypher by Brad Teare, finished May 7
040) My Faith in Frankie by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, Marc Hempel, finished May 5
039) Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg, finished May 5
038) Batman: R.I.P. by Grant Morrison et al, finished May 4
037) 1000 Steps To World Domination by Rob Osborne, finished May 4
036) 110 Per¢ by Tony Consiglio, finished May 4
035) Mendoza in Hollywood by Kage Baker, finished May Day
034) All Star Superman, Vol. 2 by Grant Morrison, and Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant, finished April 22
033) All Star Superman, Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison, and Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant, finished April 20
032) Bound on Earth by Angela Hallstrom, finished April 19
031) Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul by Grant Morrison and colleagues, finished April 18
030) Madman Atomic Comics Volume 2 by Mike Allred with Laura Allred, finished April 14
029) For a Good Time by K. Voss, finished April 11
028) The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, finished April 11
027) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, finished April 6
026) Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey by Karen Wilkin (essay) and Edward Gorey (art), finished April 5
025) Owly: A Time to be Brave by Andy Runton, finished April 1
024) Blue Beetle: Endgame by John Rogers and Rafaele Albuquerque, finished March 29
023) Blue Beetle: Reach for the Stars by Rogers, Torres, Albuqerque; finished March 26
022) The Complete Peanuts 1967-1968 by Charles M. Schulz, finished March 25
021) Blue Beetle: Road Trip by various, finished March 25
020) Love That Dog by Sharon Creech, finished March 18
019) Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block, finished March 17
018) The Proviso by Moriah Jovan, finished March 16
017) An Ensign to the Nations: History of the Oakland State by Evelyn Candland, finished March 7
016) Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, finished February 27
015) Batman: The Black Glove by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel and J.H. Williams III, finished February 23
014) The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story by Richard Preston, finished February 22
013) Lex Luthor: Man of Steel by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, finished February 19
012) Blue Beetle: Shellshocked by Keith Giffen and Cully Hammer, finished February 18
011) The Joker by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, finished February 17
010) Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, finished February 18
009) Superman: Red Son by MJR&M, finished February 11
008) The Best American Comics 2008 edited by Lynda Barry, finished February 9
007) The Blot by Tom Neely, finished February 6
006) JSA: Darkness Falls by Goyer, Johns, et al, finished January 28
005) The Road by Cormac McCarthy, finished January 24
004) Poor Sailor by Sammy Harkham, finished January 19
003) The Waitress was New by Dominique Fabre and translated by Jordan Stump, finished January 19
002) Stagger Lee by Derek McCulloch and Shepherd Hendrix, finished January 12?
001) The Arrival by Shaun Tan, finished January 8

the first five, 1-5
the second five, 6-10
the third five, 11-15
the fourth five, 16-20
the fifth five, 21-25
the sixth five, 26-30
the seventh five, 31-35
the eighth five, 36-40
the ninth five, 41-45
the tenth five, 46-50
the eleventh five, 51-55

David O. McKay: See if you can find the hilarious part

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David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism (Hardcover)
by Gregory A. Prince (Author), Wm Robert Wright (Author)

Hardcover: 550 pages
Publisher: University of Utah Press; 1 edition (March 9, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0874808227
ISBN-13: 978-0874808223
Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.9 x 1.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #63,070 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories:
#1 in Books > History > Middle East > Oman
#33 in Books > Religion & Spirituality Christianity > Mormonism

Good review

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“Happy St. Patrick’s Day” caught me off guard from the very beginning. I didn’t know how to react to the old couple. At times, they were charming, menacing, intriguing and horrible. Their complexity really sold me on the story.

------------------------------------David Drazul

I had never as yet made the attempt to svithe vocally

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I'm reading a fascinating article right now that I may well svithe again, if it weighs as heavily on my mind next week as it has been this weekend. But it's so late now, I'm just stealing one quote, which originated here.

We are so verbal, especially in the Protestant tradition, that it's hard for us not to imagine prayer either as monologue, in which I tell God things and God listens, or as a conversation in which I tell God things and God answers back. But from what I understand out of the ancient monastic materials I work on, prayer is really an entire relationship, and the verbal part is only one element. A lot of what we learn when we pray is to be quiet. We need to stop thinking that a relationship is constituted only by language. The closer we get to other people, and the better our friendships are, the more silence these relationships contain. The people we talk to all the time are probably the people we don't know.terribly well and whom we don't trust. The issue is not so much "Does God talk back and if so how?" but whether we can learn just to be in God's presence.

She has a pretty good point. Prayer is more than address-thank-pray-close, or can be. How do we arrive at prayers that move beyond the limitations of our human vocabularies?

Discuss.

last week's svithe

Omnifobbery

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The B of F O B is everywhere this weekend with two of his Fob Bible stories released on popular blogs for discussion. If you haven't read these stories before, do now. If you have, stop by to help get the conversation going. They're both great. I should know. I'm their freaking editor.

Abraham's Purgatory

The Changing of the God

On BYU's new MFA

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The [Card] School Internship Office provides academic credit for [writing] internships that meet the following requirements:

The internship must be a good [writing-]related work experience;

The intern must be given [writing] projects that require higher level [creative] skills;

Interns must have an [editor] supervisor to train, mentor, and evaluate them;

Interns must [write] at least 45 hours for every credit hour they are taking, i.e., 90 work hours for two credit hours, 135 work hours for three credit hours.

(read the rest here)

More Fob Goodness

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The second half of Tyler Chadwick's Fob Bible review is up on AMV.

This one has way more sex.

I'm just sayin'.

Why post the unpostable?

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Because I am Theric.

And I can.

Eleven reasons to buy stock in Elephant™ Brand Phone Nails

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1. They're the industry leader.

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3. With the increase of people using their phones for photography, phone nails are expected to increase in sales 29% in the coming quarter alone.

4. Would you have bought stock from these guys?

5. Be honest now: How many times today have you already wished you had a phone nail handy?

6. Phone nails are green.

7. Elephant™ is the only brand of phone nail being exported into China.

8. Elephant™ is opening five new manufacturing facilities in the US in 2009, at a time when other industries are shedding jobs like psoriasis.

9. Unlike most phone nail brands, Elephant™ brand phone nails have been certified Golden Delicious by Apple's Accoutrement Corps.

10. Available in dozens of colors while most brands are still only available in Ford black.

11. I get 10% for every person who signs up using my special code: thuckerswanted.

Thanks in advance!